Levy and The Wolf prince
by blackriddlerose
Summary: So this is a mash up of Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast with some other things thrown in about our favorite book worm and Dragon slayer. Enjoy :) Rated T because of Gajeel's colorful language. Will be 5 chapters long.
1. Chapter 1

Levy and the Wolf Prince

Chapter 1

…

The young bluenette walked through the forest, keeping to the trail, with a basket of pastries in one hand and a book in the other. Her red cape billowed with each gust of wind that rattled the pages of her book, much to her annoyance. Why can't the wind just stop and let her read her book in peace?

She was on her way to grandma Porlyusia's house to deliver her the pastries and a few herbs and as usual, she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings.

There was a rumor of a large black wolf stalking the forest, but after so many trips and not seeing it, Levy decided it was just that, a rumor. But given her luck, she was being followed by said rumor, its glowing red eyes following her.

…

"Grandma? I'm here," Levy called, setting the basket and her book down so she could remove her red cloak.

"I'm back here. Did you bring the herbs I needed?" the grandma called back.

"Yes grandma, and some pastries from the shop," Levy answered, picking the basket up and heading to the kitchen.

"Good, I was starting to get hungry,"" Porlyusia commented as she got two plates out of the kitchen cabinet.

…

"See you in a couple days grandma," Levy called as she tightened her cloak and headed down the forest trail, her book sitting in the empty basket. "I wonder what momma is making for dinner tonight," Levy mused, oblivious to the cold eyes watching her. The sun was setting quickly and Levy had no intention of being in the forest after dark so she picked up her pace.

She arrived at the village and noticed the mayor putting up some flyers on the town hall's bulletin board. Curious, she walked over.

"What's the news mayor?"

Startled the mayor dropped his stack of papers. "Oh dear, you scared me there Levy," the mayor said in his soprano voice.

"Sorry about that," Levy said as she bent down to pick up the flyers. "A prince is missing?" she asked when she read the flyer.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. And as luck would have it, not a prince, the prince. Prince Gajeel, the eldest who was supposed to take over the kingdom in a year."

"When did he go missing?" Levy asked. This was as interesting as her books.

"Nobody knows. Prince Gajeel and three of his friends went out hunting about two weeks ago. When they didn't come back, the king, very distraught, sent out a search party," the mayor continued.

"And?" Levy asked, completely enthralled by the story.

"Well, the search party found the prince's three friends dead from unexplainable causes. As for the prince, they found his clothes, completely unscathed, but no prince. Not even a set of footprints," the mayor said sadly. "Now the king is offering a large reward to anyone that can find the prince or has relevant information on the situation," the roundish man said, placing the remaining flyers under his arm.

"That's terrible," Levy said before saying goodbye to the mayor and heading to her and her mother's bakery shop.

…

Gajeel ran as fast as his new legs could carry him. Untrained in wolf etiquette, he walked right into some pack's territory. Now he was running for his life, the pack right on his trail and it was a large pack, as they snapped at his bushy tail.

"I didn't mean to enter your territory," the wolf prince called, but it only seemed to anger the alpha male even more.

"Shit! Where the hell is that damn witch?" Gajeel howled as he sped up.

…

"I'm heading back to grandma's mom," Levy yelled as she grabbed her basket and ran out the door.

"Be back for dinner! And be safe!" Levy's mother yelled after her before heading back into the kitchen to check on the bread.

Levy was half way to her grandma's when she got the feeling she was being watched. She stopped and looked around, her brown eyes trying to peer into the shadows cast by the trees.

"Anyone there?" Levy squeaked out timidly.

A low growl answered her.

Turning sharply, Levy came face to face, literally, (the wolf was that large) with a gleaming pair of red eyes.

"Go-ood boy," Levy laughed nervously, completely unsure of what to do.

"Have you seen a witch around here, Shrimp?" came a rough, deep voice.

Levy knew it was the wolf that talked but still, she turned and looked everywhere for a person that could have been the owner of the voice, and when she saw no one, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Be quiet!" the wolf growled as he lunged at her, knocking her down and standing over her. "I don't need more hunters showing up and trying to kill me."

"Wha-how? How can I understand you? How are you talking?" Levy squealed as she eyed the sharp canines that were only an inch or so from her face.

"Cuz I'm not a wolf Shrimp, I'm the prince. Now tell me, have you seen a witch around here?"

"N-no. There aren't any witches around here," Levy squealed.

"Dammit!" the wolf growled, getting off the bluenette.

"You're a prince?" Levy dared to ask when she remembered what the wolf and the mayor had said.

"Yeah, Prince Gajeel. Some witch found me when I was hunting. She killed my friends and turned me into this. Fucking bitch," the large black wolf snarled.

"Why?" Levy ventured to ask.

"I don't know, cuz she is a bitch."

"Did she say anything as to why? Witches don't do anything without reason."

"How would you know what witches do?" the wolf prince growled.

"I uh, read a bunch of books. Like Beauty and the Beast. So did she say anything," Levy said, coming to a stand and brushing herself off.

"She said something about me being an ass and not deserving the throne. And about something about only having a year to find someone," the Prince growled offhandedly.

"So just like Beauty and the Beast," Levy sweat dropped.

"Like what?" Gajeel growled, swinging his head around to face the young girl.

"It's a fairy tale about a jerk of a prince who gets turned into a beast by a witch. He has a limited amount of time to find someone to love him or he stays like that forever," Levy explained.

"That's stupid," the wolf growled.

"That's the pickle you're in though," Levy said trying to resist a smile.

"No, cuz imma find that witch and rip her throat out," the prince yelled as he raced back off into the shadows.


	2. Chapter 2

Levy and the Wolf Prince

Chapter 2

…

It had been four months since Levy last saw the Wolf Prince, Gajeel. Of course no one believed her story, pushing it off as her wild imagination from reading too many fairy tales. After a while she even began to doubt the whole thing herself, until an update on the missing prince came.

It was the day after the harsh winter storm ended. The mayor called everyone to the town hall to spread the news.

"Everyone, settle down. I know you have work to do, repairs to make due to the storm, but this shouldn't take too long," the mayor started, gaining everyone's attention. "First, we owe an apology to Levy," the mayor said, motioning for Levy to join him up on the platform. "A witch arrived at his majesty's castle and confessed to turning the prince into a giant black wolf."

The town's' people looked at Levy, grumbling their apologies.

"The king, outraged, demanded to know why. The witch replied saying that Prince Gajeel was unworthy of being king until he learned an important lesson, the lesson of humility. Now the king immediately called his soldiers, ordering them to take the witch prisoner until she agreed to undue the spell. Unfortunately, the witch managed to escape by transforming into smoke. But not before saying that the prince had only a year since she turned him to learn his lesson before he was stuck in that form forever," the mayor said.

"When was the last time you saw the Prince, Levy?" a town's member asked.

"About four months ago," Levy answered.

"Maybe he will come back, after all I'm sure a lot of hunters were trying to kill him," someone said.

"But that was before word of this spread, now everyone knows. He might return back to the castle," a woman said.

"That's true. But if he shows up here, think of the fame we'll gain if we can turn him back," another man called out."

…

"Honestly," Levy huffed out, "couldn't they have just believed me to begin with. It's not like I'm the town fool or some liar."

On her way to her grandma's again, Levy was having a hard time. Snow had piled up high on the trail so finding it was a task on its own. Trying to walk it? Very difficult and slow. The short girl had to pick her legs up high to walk.

In the end, a twenty minute walk to her grandma's cottage took almost two hours and a great deal of cursing. Levy's mother had sent her to check up on the elderly woman after the storm and to aid in any repairs that needed to be made.

When Levy spotted the house, she was glad to see little damage. "Grandma? Are you okay?" Levy called out, knowing that her grandma's joints started to hurt during cold weather.

"I'm just fine. Did you bring any of the apple pastries that I like so much," Porlyusia called out. "And mind our guest dear."

"Guest?" Levy called out slightly worried as she set the basket down and headed to the fire to warm up.

"Yes, the Prince s here. Got here just in time to weather the storm with me," the woman said as she entered the room.

"Really? Where?" Levy asked looking around.

"Right here," came the rough voice of the prince as he laid himself in front of the fire.

"Have you heard? The king knows what happened to you. The witch told him everything," Levy exclaimed, hoping this was news to the prince.

It wasn't.

"I'm aware," the large black wolf yawned. "I was at my castle before the storm hit."

"And?" Levy asked curious.

"I don't mind being a wolf."

"What?" Levy asked, confused. "How is being a wolf better than being a prince?"  
"Being a prince means I have to deal with smug aristocrats, annoying princesses and princes, stupid rules and manners, and boring lessons on everything under the sun. Being wolf means none of that and I get to scare the shit out of people and other animals."

"Levy did you bring any meat?" the old woman asked as she got a frying pan out.

"Yes, grandma, it's at the very bottom," Levy replied as she got up to help her grandma.

"Good. We'll eat and afterwards inspect the house for any damage," the woman planned as she dropped the meat in the frying pan. Levy noticed the prince's ears and nose twitching as his senses were flooded by the meat.

…

Levy almost tripped as she clambered onto the roof with a shovel to remove the thick layer of snow before it caused the roof to collapse in. Luckily, this was the worst of it. There weren't other problems to deal with. Shoveling snow would still take her until dinner to finished, but grandma said she was making her favorite meal so that made it worth it.

…

Levy sat by the fire, using the light to read, Gajeel was still stretched out beside her and grandma had gone to bed an hour or so ago.

"What was that fairy tale you mentioned the last time I saw you?" the prince asked, startling Levy.

"Beauty and the Beast," Levy replied.

"Tell it to me," Gajeel said in his typical arrogant princely tone.

"If you say please," Levy responded, closing her book.

"I'm a prince, I don't say please," the wolf growled.

"No you are a wolf who earlier said he would rather be a wolf than a prince," Levy countered.

A growl of annoyance escaped his lips as the prince said the magic word.

"Was that so hard?" Levy teased. "Anyway, the story is about a prince and a bookworm named Belle. The prince was very arrogant and mean spirited while Belle was a beautiful, kind book loving town girl. One night during a bad storm, an old woman came to the prince's castle asking for shelter from the storm. The prince turned her down and the old woman revealed herself as a witch.

She told the prince that while he was good looking on the outside, he was ugly on the inside. So she turned him into this wolf-bear creature that reflected his true self. She also turned all of the servants in the castle into household items, like kettles and clocks.

Lastly, she gave him a beautiful pink rose and told him that if he did not find anyone that could love him or who he was by the time the last petal fell off, then we would be stuck in that form for the rest of his life. Then came Belle. She began to live in the castle with him. At first it was really awkward, but after a while they came to fall in love with each other and with little time to spare before the last petal dropped, the curse was broken. The prince and the servants turned back to people and he was a changed man. They all lived happily ever after," Levy finished with a gleam in her eyes. That was always one of her favorite stories.

"That was stupid," Gajeel said, laying on his side to let the fire worm his stomach.

"Call it what you want, but it describes us perfectly," Levy huffed.

"Us?" Gajeel questioned.

"Yes, us. You are the mean prince turned beast and I am Belle the bookworm," Levy defended.

"Don't go getting any ideas," Gajeel growled, closing his eyes.

"I'm not," Levy stuttered. "I'm just saying, it's very coincidental."

After that, Levy went back to reading and finished the book a few hours later with a thump as she closed it, causing Gajeel's ear to twitch. The petite girl got up from the chair and headed to the spare bedroom for the night. "Good night," Levy called to the prince, but got no reply.

…

The bluenette woke the next morning when the sun started to shine on her face. She shifted so she was sitting up and stretched her arms wide. She rubbed her eyes and opened them to black. Flurry blackness. Gajeel was lying beside her, his enormous body taking up most of the bed.

"What are you doing in my bed?" Levy yelled, smacking the wolf with a pillow.

Gajeel growled in annoyance, shaking the pillow off. "It's my bed."

"What do you mean your bed?" Levy demanded.

"I've been staying in this room since before the winter storm," Gajeel responded, his red eyes trained on the girl.

"Well that explains why it stinks in here," Levy said curtly before throwing the covers off and heading to the kitchen. She heard the wolf's claws as they struck the wood floor.

"Morning, Grandma," Levy said, entering the kitchen.

"Morning dear, your majesty," Porlyusia responded.

"There is nothing left to fix, you got it all done yesterday, so if you want you can return home."

"I'll head out after breakfast," Levy responded, setting the table. "What about you? Are you going to stay here for the rest of your life like some overgrown lap dog?"

Gajeel growled. "I ain't no lap dog, peasant. And no, I'll leave soon myself."

"Where to?" the grandma asked, placing the plate of bacon on the table.

"I don't know where yet. Might go and find the witch again," the large black wolf said, sniffing the bacon.

"Sounds fun. You should take Levy with you. She loves adventure," Porlyusica said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

The wolf scowled. "What good would she be?"

"She's a great healer, even knows some basic magic too," the old woman said, sitting down to eat. "Might be able to track that witch for you?"

"What? No, I can't do that. That's too complicated of magic for me to do!" Levy said, slightly angry that her grandmother would reveal so casually that she was a witch. "Besides, I'm happy here."

"Whatever you say dear," her grandma said, taking a bite of her biscuit.

"You know magic?" Gajeel asked, shocked.

"Not much," Levy admitted. "Just the very basics."

"Interesting," the wolf growled quietly before turning and leaving his plate untouched.

…

""I'm leaving," Levy called throwing her cloak on. "I'll be back in week or so."

"Be safe," the elderly woman called back.

"I'm assuming you don't want me to tell anyone that you are here?" Levy asked the wolf.

"Our secret," he replied gruffly.

Levy struggled on the way back. None of the snow had melted and by the time she got home, her trousers where completely soaked, her body shaking form cold.

Luckily her mother was ready; a dry set of clothes and fire burning for her, along with a freshly baked loaf of bread.

"Why are your clothes covered in black dog hair?" Levy's mom asked, inspecting her daughter's clothes.

"I met a stary on the way back here," Levy stammered out between bites of bread.

The baker looked at her daughter but said nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

Levy and the Wolf Prince

Chapter 3

…

"Grandma?" Levy called, opening the door to the cottage. "Grandma, you here?" the bluenette called again, louder. No answer. "She's probably still sleeping," Levy said to herself, noting how early it still was as she took the basket of goodies to the kitchen. When she came back she noticed the fire was almost out. "She never lets the fire get this low," she said quietly. "Fire," Levy called, snapping her fingers. The fire jumped to life, quickly eating up the new fire wood she was placing in.

The bookworm got up, walking to the back of the cottage where the two bedrooms were. The extra bedroom was clean, no sign that the giant wolf prince ever stayed there. "Grandma?" Levy called again, entering into her bedroom. The small girl gasped in disbelief, running up the body. "Grandma!" Levy called, flipping the body over. "Grandma?" Levy yelled, tears starting to stream down her face, knowing that she was dead, but not wanting to give up hope.

"I hear something," came a deep voice. "Over here."

Levy quickly quieted herself, her hands over her mouth to suppress the sobs as she searched for a place to hide, but it was too late.

"Hey! Who are you?" came the other voice as a strong hand grabbed her arm, pulling her toward them.

"Let go of me!" Levy demanded, flailing her limbs at the two men.

"Where is the prince?" the first demanded.

"I don't know!" Levy yelled. "Let go of me! Fire!" the young girl called out, lighting the one man's cloak on fire.

"Magic!" the man said in shock as he tried to put the flame out. In doing so, his grip had loosened and Levy slipped away. "Get her! She will fetch a nice prince at the auctions. The other, larger of the two men, nodded, giving chase to the red cloaked girl.

Levy ran; she ran past the point of exhaustion, her legs and lungs burning. She ran toward the town, the first few houses becoming visible through the thinning tree line when she was grabbed from behind, her mouth covered so she couldn't scream.

"A little witch like yourself will fetch a fortune at the auctions after you locate the prince for us," the man grinned, knocking the bluenette unconscious with a powerful punch to the stomach.

…

Levy woke to red. Her red cloak, a red sun and red blood staining the ground in front of her. She sat up immediately, her hands flying toward her stomach as it throbbed with pain. "Where am I?" she asked quietly, looking around.

The blood wasn't hers which worried her even more. She was in a shallow cave that was in front of a large meadow, the sun starting to rise behind the trees. It was too much for the girl. The death of her grandma and her kidnapping and now the confusion rushed her at once and she started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Stop crying," came a familiar tone. The bluenette looked up to see Gajeel standing in front her, his red eyes staring into her wet ones.

"Gajeel?" Levy got out between sobs. "What's going on? Where am I?"

The wolf looked at the girl, his eyes revealing a trace of guilt. "My cave. I killed the two men that captured you," he said, lying down beside her, his giant head resting on his paws.

"You are the reason my grandma is dead!" Levy yelled, hitting the wolf repeatedly with her small fists. Gajeel continued to lie there, letting the young girl hit him until she fell asleep. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Levy snapped awake, still in the cave, her face full of black fur. She looked at the wolf prince, his fur keeping her warm and blocking out the winter wind that blew in.

"You finally awake?" Gajeel asked, shifting positions.

"Where are we?" Levy asked.

"About a day from your village," he responded casually. "There is meat over there, have to heat it yourself though," the wolf growled, closing his eyes again.

Levy's stomach started to rumble at the thought of food. She raised herself unsteadily and moved toward the frozen meat. It looked prepared already. "You steal this from a butcher?"

"Yeah," was the lazy reply.

As much as Levy hated the idea of theft, she was hungry. She walked back over to the wolf and conjured some flames on her hand, holding the meat over it. It was slow and tiring but soon the meat was thawed and cooked enough to eat.

"You rally can you magic?" Gajeel said, one large eye watching the whole ordeal.

"I haven't forgiven you," Levy replied, taking a bite.

The wolf fell silent again, until Levy had finished her meal. "Come, I'll take you to your village," he said, rising to his feet.

Levy rose too, stiff from the cold. It was afternoon and if they were a day away, they wouldn't make it back before night fall. But neither did she want to stay here in the cave, the frozen puddle of blood still there, so she followed the wolf out, looking away from the two bodies and into the woods.

…

Gajeel growled in annoyance at their slow pace. Levy was taking longer than he thought, trudging through the heavy snow. But he owed her. She was in this mess because of him. He growled again. "Get on."

"What?" Levy asked, confused.

"Get on my back, you're going to slow," the wolf said, squatting down.

Levy looked at the wolf skeptically for a moment before climbing on to the prince's back.

He took off suddenly, almost throwing her off, but after a minute she became accustomed to the gait and started to enjoy the ride, feeling the tough muscles under the thick fur glide effortlessly.

The land sped by underneath them and it wasn't long until Levy could hear bells ringing. The bells of her village signaling a town meeting.

The bell rang three times before it went quiet. "What's that mean? The bell?" Gajeel asked.

Levy barely caught the question and leaned forward, getting as close to the wolf's ear as possible. "The mayor called for a town meeting."

The wolf nodded his head, indicating he heard. His pace was getting slower Levy noticed. "Let me off," Levy called.

The wolf didn't argue, coming to a stop and squatting low enough for the short girl to slide off. He stretched his massive body and ended with a shake of his thick coat. The two walked side by side the rest of the way as the sun was starting to sink.

They came to outskirts of the town, the few houses deserted and covered in snow. "This is as far as I go," Gajeel growled before turning away.

"Wait," Levy called. The black wolf turned back around. "I forgive you for my grandma's death," Levy said. "And thank you, for carrying me back here and for saving me from those men."

"You're welcome," the prince replied back, his tone slightly less gruff than normal.

"Good luck," Levy finished, "in finding the witch, or the person that can change you."

Gajeel nodded his large head before turning back toward the woods. Levy turned back toward the village but noticed the mass of black in the corner of her eye. Gajeel hadn't moved. She turned to see why.

In front of them stood three knights and a proud white horse, the rider being the king.

"Gajeel!" the king cried, sliding off his horse and running toward the wolf.

"Your majesty," Levy bowed but was ignored.

"Where have you been? Why did you leave?" the king asked, staring at his eldest son.

"Didn't feel like staying," Gajeel said nonchalantly.

"What do you mean you didn't feel like staying?" the king demanded. "Wolf or not, you can still stay at the castle. We can hire other witches to revert you back."

"I'm content in this form," Gajeel answered. "Why are you out here?"

"Looking for you, and don't be silly. You can't be content being a filthy animal," the kind replied, his anger growing.

Gajeel growled. "I'm fine as is."

"You listen to me," the king yelled. "You will come home and we will change you back. You will be king!"

"Let one of your other sons be king," Gajeel said, turning away, toward Levy.

"They are all incompetent fools who don't deserve to take the crown. Now you will come home whether you like it or not," the king yelled.

The three knights started to surround him and their lances and swords ready. "No! Stop!" Levy called, slamming into the closest knight.

The knight recovered himself and shoved Levy out of the way. "Don't hurt her," Gajeel growled menacingly at the knight.

The king saw his opportunity. Grabbing Levy, an ornate knife at her throat, he called to his cursed son, "Now you listen to me. You will return, or I kill her."


	4. Chapter 4

Levy and the Wolf Prince

Chapter 4

Sorry everyone, but I was lazy and didn't do much spell checking on this chapter.

…

"I'm sorry, this is all my fault," Levy said, tears streaming down her face.

"It ain't your fault," Gajeel growled back, his head resting on his paws.

"Hush, peasant," the knight snapped. Levy bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears. Currently the two were in a metal cage, being pulled back to the castle by some horses the king got from her village. The villagers just watched the king take her away, not trying to defend her and for that she hated them. A few came along, as lantern bearers, to light the way since the king decided not to rest in the village for the night. And Levy knew that she wasn't guaranteed safety. Once they got back, she was sure the king would kill her or turn her into a servant. Gajeel would be kept on lock down so he wouldn't try to escape. "If only I could remember more magic spells," Levy whispered angrily to herself.

Gajeel's eyes shot open. He had forgotten that she knew magic. "What spells do you know?" he asked quietly, inching closer to the girl.

"How to start fires, change some things into water, a minor healing spell, and levitation. But everything besides the fire and healing spell consume a lot of energy," Levy answered.

"We'll just wait until we stop. We will have more chances then," the wolf said, resting his head on the girl's lap.

Levy shoved her cold hands into his thick fur to warm them, her cloak doing little to help her against the night's chill. "A storm is coming," she muttered to herself.

…

Levy's prediction came true. A large blizzard started up right as they were nearing the next village, forcing the king to stop there. The townspeople were eager to make room for the king and prince, fetching them their best food and blankets.

"At least we won't be out in the middle of the storm," Levy said, watching the rising sun. "It should calm by afternoon," Levy commented to the wolf before eating a spoonful of the stew that was given to her.

"You can predict weather too?" Gajeel asked as he stretched his sore muscles to the best of his abilities. They had been released from the cage, but they were still chained to it.

"Not predict, sense. Like a gut feeling," Levy said, shifting her own position. "As an animal, you should be able to too, to some degree."

"That'll come in handy," Gajeel commented as he swallowed his slab of meat whole.

"You have a plan?" Levy asked quietly.

"Yeah, we torch this place and run," Gajeel answered.

"We can't do that," Levy said back, angrily. "This is someone's home, besides, as close together as everything is, the entire village will burn down and leave everyone homeless during the middle of winter."

Gajeel growled his defeat. "Got any other ideas then?"

"Yeah, but we'll have to wait a little longer," the bluenette said, eyeing the knight that kept watch over them. Gajeel looked at the bookworm curiously, but said nothing.

Levy finished her stew and wrapped her cloak tightly around her, her lips starting to move, but no words were coming out. The prince watched Levy for a minute, expecting something to happen. Nothing did and he became confused. He sensed something was changing about the girl, but didn't know what. He would never admit it to anyone, but it scared him and he let out a low whine.

"You are going back whether you like it or not," the king called, mistaking Gajeel's whine for one of anger. Gajeel growled at the man and turned back to Levy.

A couple of hours had passed, and as Levy had said, the storm was starting to settle, but she had yet to move. Gajeel started to worry more, he sniffed at the girl's arm, licked her hand, shoved his wet nose in her face, but nothing happened. What bothered him the most was the feeling of something changing within the girl.

The king and one guard were sleeping and the other two were patrolling the area, one for the king and one for them. The third knight was sleeping close to them, his back resting against the writing table that was against the wall. He was also the one that held the keys to their chains.

Gajeel sat up, sensing Levy's eyes opening. His tail thumped once in joy, before he caught himself. He wasn't supposed to act like that, thumping his tail over a girl. Levy was watching the sleeping knight, her lips moving again and her hand outstretched.

"What are you doing? What happened to you?" Gajeel demanded harshly.

"I'm trying to concentrate," Levy responded before going back to muttering her strange word over and over. The wolf followed the girl's sight and noticed the keys on the knight's belt were starting to move.

"I thought you said that took too much energy?" he asked confused.

"That's why I spent the last few hours collecting energy," Levy responded, her fingers moving slowly as the keys made their way toward her, slowly but surely. Gajeel's tail twitched with anticipation. The keys came to a stop above Levy's hand and she grabbed a hold them, concealing them under her cloak as the one knight came to switch shifts with the sleeping knight.

The knight stretched and got up, grabbing his lance and headed to position, not noticing the missing sound of clinking keys on his belt.

Levy waited until the other knight had fallen asleep, his soft snores alerting her that is was safe before she undid the chain on her foot. She glanced around to make sure the coast was clear before undoing Gajeel's.

"What now?" Levy asked. She hadn't actually expected to get this far.

"Every couple of minutes, the knight guarding my father enters the room and checks everything in there. The next time he does, we kill the one the guarding the exit and breakout," Gajeel answered.

Levy hated the idea of killing and Gajeel had already killed twice for her, but she saw no other way if they wanted to get out quickly and quietly. With a nod of her head, Levy turned her gaze toward the king's knight, ready to tell Gajeel when he entered the room.

"Now," Levy said, as the man closed the door behind him as he entered the room. Gajeel crept quietly toward the knight, and since he was facing the door, he didn't see the wolf come up behind him and rip his head off. The head and body fell to the ground, Gajeel catching the body just before so it didn't make too loud of a thump.

"Let's go Levy!" Gajeel called. The bluenette ran to the wolf quickly, jumping on his back after opening the door.

"Where are we going?" Levy called as she clung to Gajeel's thick fur, the storm still raging, but much calmer than it had been an hour ago. The ground was thick once more with snow making their pace slower than they would have liked, but at least the still falling snow covered their tracks.

"To your grandma's," the prince called back.

Levy quieted down, the thought of seeing her grandma saddening her.

…

"Levy," Gajeel called, his tone harsh. "Earth to Levy," he called again, giving his body a shake to get the girls attention.

Levy snapped awake, her thoughts leaving her as she focused on the black wolf. "Yes?"

"I need to rest, get off."

"Okay," Levy said as she slid off, sitting on the ground, her mind wondering again.

It was only a couple hours until the sun would set and they were still five or so hours away from the cottage. Gajeel stretched and sniffed the air for any scent of game to hunt, his stomach growling. He didn't pick up any trace of animals but did pick something else up.

"Levy, I smell fire. There is a house near here," the prince said, walking over to the girl.

"Great," she said, but halfheartedly.

"What's wrong?" Gajeel growled, his tone harsher than he meant for it to be. He could tell she was about to cry which made him feel awkward.

"I have to bury my grandma. If her body hasn't been eaten by wild animals already," Levy cried.

Gajeel had no idea what to say. There was nothing he could say to make it better or bring her back, so he tried to get her to focus on the problem at hand. "We can't sit here much longer. I don't know if my dad was able to follow us or not, plus we need to eat."

"Levy sobs quieted as she nodded her head, coming to a stand.

"Good, now the smell is coming from over there," the wolf said, walking off, Levy right behind him.

The two came to a small clearing, staying at the edge of the tree line. There was a small, one room cottage there, the small puff of smoke coming out of the chimney altering them that it was occupied.

"What are we going to do about you? I'm sure they'll let me in, but you're another story, unless you want to reveal that you are the prince," Levy said, staring at the house.

"I won't go in, you will. Get some food for yourself and see if you can get something for me," the wolf said, taking a step back. "I'll give you an hour and meet you on the other side of the house, by the trail," he said before turning and running off.

"Okay, you can do this Levy," the girl said to herself, taking the set out of the tree line and toward the cottage. She walked to the front door and knocked.

"Hello," Levy said politely to the elderly man who answered the door.

"What on earth is a young girl like yourself doing out here in the middle of winter?" the man asked, ushering Levy in. "Here, sit by the fire, you must be cold," he said, cleaning of a chair.

"Thank you, and I am traveling to my Grandmother's," Levy answered.

"In this weather? Brave girl," the man replied, pouring Levy some soup and giving her a piece of bread. "I'm Charles, by the way and my grandson is Killian, if he ever comes back from collecting fire wood."

"It's nice to meet you," Levy said, taking the bowl of hot soup from him. "I'm Levy."

"It's nice to meet you, Levy,' Charles answered.

"The pleasure is all mine," Levy responded, more out of habit than politeness. "And thank you, very much, for the food."

"You're welcome. Stay as long as you need, even for the night if you must, it will be dark soon anyway," the man said, getting up to go tidy the small room up some.

"Thank you for the offer, but I just needed some time to rest, it isn't too much farther off now," Levy answered, looking around. A small kitchen and two beds lining one wall, a chest in between them was really all there was. No table or rug. But the fire did a good job of keeping the room warm and cozy. "Why do you live so far from a village Mr. Charles?" Levy asked to keep an awkward silence at bay.

"My grandson and I are fur traders, so being out here makes it easier to trap the animals," the man replied, making the beds.

Good, trappers' means meat, Levy thought to herself. "Do you sell to Magnolia Village by chance?" Levy asked curious.

"We've been there once or twice," Charles responded. "Is that where you are from?"

"It is. My grandmother lives just outside of it and I was coming back from a friend's to check on her before going home myself," Levy answered.

Before Charles could ask another question, the door opened, revealing a snow covered young man, a year or two older than Levy, his arms full of fire wood.

"There you are Killian," Charles said, heading over to him. "We have a guest. Her name is Levy. She's heading to her grandmothers and needed a place to rest for a moment."

"It's nice to meet you miss," Killian nodded as he stacked the firewood up by the fireplace.

Levy smiled, staring at the boy. He was handsome with his dark hair and strong build.

"So where are you coming from?" Killian asked, pouring himself a bowl of soup.

"From Leafstone. I was visiting a friend. I'm heading back to grandma's just outside of Magnolia now," Levy answered.

"Long journey," Killian commented.

"The extra few feet of snow from the last storm didn't help either," Levy replied.

"No, it didn't," Killian laughed.

…

"Thank you so much for your hospitality," Levy said, accepting the small bundle of food from the elderly man. "I really do appreciate it," the bookworm said as she was about to open the door.

"You sure you don't want to stay the night?" Killian asked, concerned. "You still have a ways to go and it will be dark in an hour or two." He had enjoyed the girl's company after spending so much time alone with his grandfather.

"Sorry, but my grandma is expecting me soon, and I don't want to worry her," Levy replied with a sad smile.

Killian looked sad, but accepted her answer. "Well, good luck then."

"Thanks again for everything," Levy said before leaving, waving goodbye to the two men.

She tucked the food in to the pocket on the inside of her cloak, as she trudged through the snow toward the path that led to her grandma's and to where she was supposed to meet Gajeel.

She had just left the sight of the cottage and called out for the wolf, expecting him to be close.

"Right here," the wolf called, jumping out of the shadows and scaring the young girl. "Did you get any food for me?"

"I did," Levy said as she removed the bundle of bread and salted meat from her cloak. She tossed it to Gajeel and he snapped it up greedily.

"It isn't much but it will have to do," he responded. "Now get one so we can get back already."

Levy clambered on the giant wolf's back and held tight as he leaped into a run.

…

"Finally," the prince grumbled as the cottage came into view, Levy sliding of his back and stumbling toward the place, tears in her eyes.

She wearily pushed open the door and made her way to the body, her tears starting to come faster. Gajeel walked right behind her, and growled when they made it to the woman's bedroom.

Levy collapsed, unsure of what to do or say. She just looked around. "Her body is gone. Even the blood," she whispered in disbelief.


	5. Chapter 5

Levy and the Wolf Prince

Chapter 5 (END)

…

"Because I already cleaned everything up," came a voice from behind.

Gajeel spun around, a vicious growl coming from his throat. "Mom?" Levy asked, confused. "What's going on?"

"I burned her body and cleaned up the blood," the baker said casually.

"You never come out here, that's why you always send me," Levy said, still confused. Her mother and grandmother never saw eye to eye.

"You're right, but I was wondering what was taking you so long so I came out here to find my mother murdered and you nowhere to be found," the woman said, taking a step closer.

Gajeel growled again, stepping protectively between Levy and her mother. "She smells familiar," he growled to Levy.

"Long time no see, your highness," the baker said with a smile.

"How do you know me?" Gajeel growled, his white canines showing.

"I'm the reason you are what you are, don't you remember?" the woman asked, still smiling coldly.

"The witch!" Gajeel roared, lunging at the woman, but she swiped her hand to the side, slashing the air, and Gajeel's body did the same, slamming into the wall.

"Gajeel!" Levy called, running to the prince's side. "Why are you doing this?" Levy called to her mom.

"Because the prince took something from me and I'm just getting my revenge."

"This is isn't like you mamma," Levy called, her body shielding the wounded Gajeel.

"You don't know me brat," the woman said harshly. "You never even figured out that I was a witch despite being one yourself."

"What did I take from you?" Gajeel growled.

"You killed my familiar!" the woman screamed. "My friend, my partner! You shot him down out of the sky all those years ago! Killed him for fun, because you could. Then you just left him there to rot!" the witch spat.

"How the hell was I supposed to know?" Gajeel snapped.

"The point is, you are a despicable piece of shit that doesn't deserve the kingdom. People think we witches are evil, but they never met you."

"That's not true!" Levy yelled. "Gajeel isn't evil. Rude, but not evil."

"Hush Levy," Gajeel said.

"Don't tell me you fell in love with this pig headed brute. You clearly haven't seen the real him."

"But I know him now!" Levy countered.

"Levy, she's right, I am evil," Gajeel growled, his eyes still watching the witch intently.

"You haven't been evil to me! You've saved me many times, carried me all those miles, and protected me from everyone. I'm your Belle!" Levy cried, wrapping her arms around the wolf's neck.

"But I'm still a beast," Gajeel replied, shaking her off.

"You don't have to be!" Levy cried. "You can start by leaving, by not fighting!"

Gajeel looked to Levy then her mom. "Sorry Levy, but I will always fight, it's what I know," Gajeel growled, lunging at the witch again.

The witch grinned as she snapped her fingers. The furniture in the small living room went flying, colliding with the massive wolf. Gajeel let out a yelp of surprise and pain as he fell to floor, shaking a chair off him. The rest of the furniture flew into the walls, knocking pictures and painting off the walls.

"Stop! You have your revenge! Mother!" Levy begged.

"You're right, I do have my revenge but this is fun," the woman smiled evilly.

Levy sat there, her emotions overwhelming her as she tried to think of something to do or say to end this, as she tried to get a grip on her own emotions. "What can I do? What are witches weak too?"

Gajeel was slammed against the wall once more and a picture hanging above Levy fell, hitting her on her head. She grabbed it and was about to chuck it at her mother when she caught a glimpse of what it was. It was from when she was young. She and her grandma had posed for the picture, Levy's right hand bandaged. "That's it!"

Levy put the picture down and ran into the kitchen while her mother and Gajeel were preoccupied. When she was little she accidently touched one of her grandmother's herbs and it burned her hand badly. That was the day she found out she was a witch, the plant only burns witches. "Please let there be more," Levy prayed as she rummaged through the jars and cabinets. The bluenette was going so fast, she didn't realize she had stumbled upon the plant until she pulled her hand back and it was burning.

Stifling a scream of pain, Levy grabbed a hand full of the leaves and ran out. Her arms was throbbing and her skin was turning red, blusters appearing.

She saw Gajeel's body on the opposite side, by the exit. Blood was dripping from various wounds and he was panting heavily. The witch looked perfectly fine, she hadn't even moved since the fight started.

"Hey, mom!" Levy called as she came to a stand behind the woman.

"What?" the witch snapped as she turned around, only to have Levy shove the leaves in her face and mouth.

The witch released a blood curdling scream, her face smoking as the plants burned her skin. Levy pulled her hand back just in time to avoid it being bitten off as Gajeel's large jaws snapped closed on her mother's neck, effectively decapitating her.

The small girl sunk to the ground, holding her burned arm and staring at her mother's body.

"All this time and I never realized."

The wolf prince limped over to the girl, lying down beside her. "I'm sorry. Because of me, your grandmother and mother are dead," Gajeel said, resting his massive head on the girl's lap.

"No. It isn't your fault. My mother would have died sooner or later. The people of our village have suspected us of witchcraft for a while now," Levy answered, stroking the wolf's head with her good hand.

"Still, I am sorry for everything else then," the prince said.

"We need to burn her body soon."

…

The young girl in the red cloak and the massive black wolf by her side as they walked back to the cottage, the smell of burning flesh strong on their clothes and fur.

They washed off as best they could and treated their wounds, Levy's arm taking priority as it was almost completely burned. They cleaned the blood and put the furniture back to its place, everything going by in a blur.

The two were tired and hungry but the hunger overruled the exhaustion and they went to the kitchen to find food. Right after finishing their meals they crawled into the bed, Levy snuggling next to Gajeel for warmth and within minutes they had fallen asleep.

…

Levy woke the next morning, a tan arm wrapped around her, holding her close to its owner. She sat up, staring at the man his muscular body scarred and tanned, piercings covering his face and his black hair a tangled mess. "The spell wore off," she said quietly, realizing that this man was the prince. "Gajeel," Levy said, placing a hand on the man's chest, shaking him gently. A red eye opened and stared at the bluenette. "You're human again," she smiled.

The man's eyes flew open wide as he sat up, staring at his hand and arms as he turned them over and over.

"What now?" Levy asked. "Do you wanna go back and become king?"

The prince grabbed the small bluenette and pulled her close, kissing her roughly. He pulled away and smiled. "No, I like it here, unless you want to be a princess?"

"No, I like it here too," Levy said before Gajeel pulled her in for another kiss.


End file.
